Family Matters
by theb3arjew
Summary: Four year old Naruto Uzumaki is hospitalized after a brutal attack outside of the boy's orphanage, and an old family friend decides that enough is enough. An AU where a certain Uchiha household gets a bit... louder.
1. Prologue

"Nothing sucks worse than feeling alone, no matter how many people are around." - Dr. John Dorian, Scrubs

* * *

Naruto hated hospitals.

He hated being hurt, he hated the way the doctors looked at him, and he hated how nobody would ever let him out of the stupid, tiny room until he'd felt fine for forever.

Right now, there were a lot of angry people in his tiny room. His head hurt, and his tummy felt weird, and he was in a strange bed in a strange place and he just WANTED TO RUN!

He couldn't, though. He was tucked in super tight, and his body wasn't doing what he told it to. Naruto was stuck, and he was terrified.

First, it was just Grampa Hokage who was angry. That wasn't so bad. Grampa got angry a lot, but he always got Naruto ramen afterwards.

Then there were these two guys with white hair. One of them yelled almost non-stop. Naruto didn't like him. His hair was huge and scary.

The other guy remained silent, but Naruto could still tell that he was mad. He wore a mask, so Naruto could only see one of his eyes, but his eyebrows were sharper than anyone else's. Naruto was a little scared of him.

After that, there was this old lady with yellow hair and glowy hands. She yelled just as much, but his tummy started feeling better after she waved her glowy hands around.

Naruto started feeling really sleepy right as the lady left. His eyelids kept getting heavier and heavier until, after what felt like hours, he finally let them shut. Right as his mind started going blank, a thought popped into his head. Out of all of those people, it didn't seem like a single one of them was angry at Naruto. Huh, that couldn't be right. People were always mad at Naruto.

Oh well.

* * *

When Mikoto and Fugaku Uchiha entered the tiny hospital room, they didn't really know what to expect. The Hokage's message had simply told them that the young Uzumaki boy had been injured, and that they were to report to the child's hospital room.

The sight hit both of them hard.

They were barely able to observe the boy through the bruises, bandages, and casts. Fugaku hadn't been particularly close to the child's parents, but Mikoto…

He put his arm around his wife's shoulder as he felt killing intent flow out of her coils. The couple heard the door open and close behind them, but neither turned to acknowledge the new visitor. The room's eery silence lingered for a few moments.

Finally, Mikoto spoke up.

"Who did this?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head as the couple finally turned to face him. The man, the village's very own shinobi god, looked downright exhausted.

"We don't know. That's why you are here, Fugaku." The old man paused. "Before I continue, I understand that both of you knew Naruto's parents quite well. Am I correct to assume that you both know of the boy's heritage and unique situation?"

They nodded.

"Good. Naruto's attackers made an attempt to remove the Nine Tails from it's seal. Jiraya assures me that the seal is intact, though it does seem likely that some of the beast's chakra was extracted. ANBU Dog, who fought off the attack, observed a red mass of chakra leaving the boy's body."

"ANBU Dog also noted that the attackers wore the uniforms and masks of our very own Konoha ANBU. While it is entirely possible that the uniforms were disguises, I cannot put any weight into that belief. Not when the problem may lie so close to this village's foundation."

"Fugaku, you will take command of ANBU Team Ro and covertly investigate the attack. I trust the team with my life, and I'm sure that you will as well."

The Uchiha Clan Head nodded in acknowledgement of his orders.

"Mikoto, you will stay here and monitor Naruto's treatment."

The aforementioned retired shinobi blinked in confusion.

"With all due respect, Sir, my medical training is limited, at best. I'm not sure that I'm qualified-"

The Hokage cut her off.

"You won't have to personally treat the boy. Jiraya and Tsunade already stabilized his condition. The nurses and doctors of this facility are more than capable of continuing his care. Unfortunately, a number of the hospital's staff seem to hold a certain… prejudice against the patient. I need you here to ensure that this prejudice doesn't affect Naruto's safety. I also need you to report on any cases of mistreatment or malpractice that occur throughout the boy's stay here. For the duration of this mission, you are reinstated as a jonin and, as such, hold full authority over all present staff."

With that, Fugaku and the Hokage left the cramped room to tend to their duties, leaving Mikoto with the unconscious Uzumaki child.

Mikoto Uchiha had never been a particularly emotional woman, even among her stoic clanmates, but she couldn't hold back the stray tears that she felt leaking down her cheeks. Everything about this, it was just so… wrong.

This kid should've been the happiest child on the planet. She'd never know anyone who had loved smiling more than Kushina, and Lord Fourth had been extremely cheery even through the stresses of his job. Naruto should be bouncing off the walls and driving his parents (even more) insane.

Parents.

If Kushina had seen this, there would probably be heads rolling. This child was all alone, and Mikoto had done absolutely nothing about it. Now, the kid was stuck in a hospital bed, his dull pallor nearly comparable to the whitewashed walls.

Something had to be done. Something would be done.

* * *

 **A/N: So, this has been brewing for a long time now. I've been trying to think of ways to rework Brothers into something decent, and this popped out of the rusty old oven. This is really a prologue, but I'm gonna count it as the first chapter.**

 **So, there's a lot of stuff I tried to set up here, and there's a massive amount of foreshadowing. Some of it is subtle, and some is a bit, well, in your face. Either way, an astute reader can probably figure out exactly where this story is heading.**

 **Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed! Let me know what ya think :)**


	2. Chapter 1

Hiruzen Sarutobi could practically feel the rug wearing thin beneath his pacing steps. Jiraiya was due in his office at any moment and, in a manner unbefitting the old Hokage, he was growing impatient.

It wasn't that his student was late-far from it, actually. Sarutobi had been pleasantly surprised when he'd received the toad-carried message about the early conclusion of Jiraiya's investigation. Since that notification, however, the situation had changed dramatically.

Well, sort of. Nothing had physically changed. But Sarutobi had an idea. A brilliant, probably-too-good-to-be-true idea, one that would solve the vast majority of their problems. And it relied heavily on the findings of his flamboyant student.

Either way, it was certainly setting up to be an interesting afternoon.

* * *

Itachi Uchiha was content.

His relationship with his father had been… strained, as of late. Their typically quiet household had reached a point of near-silence, where every conversation consisted of whispers and dishonest facades. Only Sasuke seemed to talk with anything vaguely resembling even an indoor voice.

But this, in the moment, was nice. His father was in charge, and Itachi was following his orders. There was no subtext, no fighting, and no implications. They were in pursuit of a common, unknown enemy, and that lack of information left no room for anything less than perfect teamwork and comradery.

As his father observed and orchestrated Team Ro's actions, Itachi couldn't help but notice that familiar spark of pride in his father's eyes. He'd grown to resent that spark, but right now, it felt right at home.

This felt like weekend training, all over again. Was it selfish for him to make that connection, just for some quick burst of nostalgic giddiness? Probably. But everybody had to be selfish once in awhile.

The genius forced himself out of his reverie, and focused on the task at hand. The squad was deep within a ROOT fortification beneath the village, and they were struggling to find any signs of life at all. The group of shinobi let out a collective sigh when they came across another dead end. Itachi looked to his father to see if the elder Uchiha had any new orders. The man simply nodded back towards the door, signaling to continue their search.

Fugaku knew, in his gut, that Danzo was responsible for this. The Hokage's words had all but confirmed it. But they had no evidence, and it seemed the mysterious man had covered his tracks well. So well, in fact, that even the combined efforts of five sharingan were struggling to find traces of the elder's existence.

Danzo had always held a grudge against the Uchiha, and Fugaku was more than happy to return that sentiment. If only they could find the bastard…

* * *

"Sensei, if you keep doing that, you're gonna go right through the floor. Tsunade's already hit her quota of helping people for the next century or so, don't ya think?"

Sarutobi was shaken from his thoughts by the intruding voice, and he looked up to see Jiraiya climbing through his office window. In what had become a reactionary response to his loud student, he sighed.

"Ah, there it is! Seven seconds this time, too. That's at least five above the average."

The Hokage fought off the urge to sigh again.

"Not the time, Jiraiya. We have much to discuss."

Jiraiya rolled his eyes, but he quickly put on a serious face.

"You were right. Danzo was behind the attempt at Minato's brat. My informants didn't know where the old bastard is hiding, but they had reason to believe that he would not have left the village."

Hiruzen nodded, a sad look in his eyes. He'd expected as much, but it was still a punch to the gut, to learn that his oldest friend had stooped so low.

"That's not all I've got. I also confirmed that Danzo was in touch with Orochimaru. They've made contact multiple times since the snake skipped town, and they apparently discussed a number of 'projects'. I wasn't able to get anything concrete, but there are enough rumors swirling through the circles that I think it's a safe bet that Orochimaru was creating some kind of drugged out, brain dead host for the Kyuubi. Seems right up his alley."

That wasn't as expected. Orochimaru? Danzo had always been quick to utilize some less-than-pleasant methods, but the man had always worked to better the village, in his own, clearly perverse way. Orochimaru was a clear traitor to the village, and the idea of communication between the pair didn't feel right.

For now, however, it wasn't important. He had the information he needed. Now, it was time to move.

Jiraiya allowed the silence to linger for a moment, and Sarutobi took the time to gather his thoughts in a presentable plan. True, the Hokage certainly didn't require his student's approval to enact the plan, and he doubted the man would protest anything with such benefit to his godson anyhow, but Sarutobi had never been much of a risk taker, and this idea, well, it was risky. Extremely so. He needed another mind on the job, just to ensure that he wasn't going senile.

"So, what's next, old man?" Jiraiya broke the thoughtful stillness with a question that didn't quite manage to hide behind his usual airiness and sarcasm. The toad sannin knew the gravity of what he'd reported, and it wore through his carefully controlled countenance.

"I'm going to tell you my plan, and you're going to tell me how insane I've become."

His student nodded in acknowledgement, notably resisting the juicy bait to riff on his old sensei.

"I plan on giving our Jinchuriki to the Uchiha."

"WHAT?!"

* * *

"It just isn't right, is it?"

Mikoto Uchiha looked over at the legendary Tsunade Senju, trying to formulate a response, but she saw that the blonde was staring off into space. It was clear that it was a question that didn't require an answer.

Tsunade had walked in an hour prior, having given up on her search, to check up on young Naruto. The woman had spent a solid half hour interrogating Mikoto about the procedures and behaviors of the medical staff that had worked on Naruto, and her long list of notes suggested that she certainly had something to say on the matter. After that, she'd moved onto doing a bunch of medic-nin stuff that Mikoto recognized but didn't really understand.

Now, however, she just wore a sad expression. That empty stare had moved over to Naruto's face, and the woman seemed to be on the verge of a breakdown.

While Mikoto fared better than most Uchiha when it came to emotional sensitivity, well, that didn't really say much at all. She had no clue what to do.

Desperate for something, anything to say, she spewed out the first thing that came to mind.

"If you don't mind me asking, what brought you back to the village?"

Tsunade's eyes widened for a split second, as if she'd forgotten about the Uchiha woman's presence, before her expression reset and she shook her head.

"It was Shizune. It was the anniversary of her brother's death, and she hasn't been to his grave in a very long time. I, well, I kinda flipped out at her when she suggested we go visit this year, and she took off toward the village on her own. Once I calmed down, I figured I owed it to her to follow. I don't owe Konoha anything, but that girl… she's something, alright."

Mikoto decided that a nod was probably the proper response, and Tsunade looked like she wanted to continue, so she remained silent.

"One of Minato's old genin brats was at the graveyard, by the memorial stone. It took a while for him to even notice us, but once he did, he came right over and dropped to his knees, begged us to come here and help this kid out. Shizune bought the sob story, and dragged me along. Then…"

Tsunade Senju, legendary kunoichi, then sniffled.

"Then, the kid, he just looked so much like Nawaki... I'm not sticking around for long. I won't. But I will see that this little twerp recovers fully."

A new silence took over, but this one felt much more companionable. Mikoto let the conversation be, and returned to her own thoughts.

She could practically hear Kushina obsessing over the child in the bed, screaming at nurses and tucking in the blankets for a 14th time. The kid would've been spoiled rotten, without a doubt.

Her mind juxtaposed that image, the imaginary, bubbly Naruto Namikaze, with the frail boy in the bed.

Uchiha were never great with emotions, but even the most stoic of elders were very familiar with the aura radiating from the retired housewife.

Her people were, among many other things, very familiar with anger.

* * *

Jiraiya was impressed. Slightly confused, but impressed.

"I can't believe that I'm saying this, I think your crazy scheme might actually work."

Hiruzen nodded, sensing the 'but' around the corner.

"But you didn't mention Danzo at all. How are you going to handle that thorn in our backsides?"

"How would you handle it?"

The toad sannin paused for a moment, a thoughtful look on his face.

"My gut tells me that killing him outright is the best option, but it'd be risky. Your plan is gonna shift a lot of weight in the village, and people are going to resist all of that change. Killing a respected elder might tip that resistance into something far more difficult to deal with, especially if you keep his crime under wraps."

Hiruzen opened up his mouth to respond, but Jiraiya held up his hand, eager to continue.

"I think you need to get word out ASAP, and make sure that you control the rumors. Tell everybody that Danzo tried to capture Konoha's jinchuriki and deliver him to our enemies, and label him a traitor. Use that as another excuse for moving Naruto. The Uchiha compound is about as secure as it gets, outside of the ANBU holding cells. It'll be like Orochimaru all over again. People will probably follow that precedent, unless you give them reason not to. Nobody will question your motives, because Danzo forced your hand, and the bastard will lose all of his favor and connections with the council, for fear of being labeled a fellow traitor. It's perfect! It's… something you've already thought of, isn't it?"

Sarutobi merely smiled, and Jiraiya leaned forward and bashed his forehead on the desk between them.

"I thought the tests would've stopped decades ago, but I guess-"

"-A sensei never stops," Hiruzen finished with a wink.

The sannin rolled his eyes and rose from his seat.

"I'm gonna guess that you have your own plan for dealing with Danzo, but I'll see if I can't find a way to draw him out. In the meantime, I'll have Kakashi gather up all of the paperwork and bring it over before the council meeting tonight. Need me for anything else?"

Sarutobi shook his head. "Just make sure you're here an hour before the meeting. I'm sure that you'll have to sign some of that lovely paperwork."

Jiraiya gave a brief nod before departing in a small puff of smoke, and the Hokage let out a deep breath. There was still much to do.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed the first real chapter! If you couldn't tell already, I'm pretty sporadic with my update. I'll try to get another one out soon, but I do have a lot of other stories to write, along with coursework and blah blah blah excuses. I'm lazy and you all know it :P  
**

 **Anyway, be sure to let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 2

"Ah, Fugaku, Mikoto, thanks for stopping by. As soon as we're done here, I promise, you'll be able to go get some rest."

The Uchiha couple graciously nodded in response to their Hokage's words. They'd been happy to help out, but they were really beginning to feel the hours rack up. 34 hours had passed since their last conversation with Hiruzen, and they'd been on duty for every single second.

Moments prior, they were both approached by an ANBU messenger, who told them to report to the Hokage for debriefing. Now, they stood before the man's desk, weary but attentive.

"We have a few things to discuss, but first, I'll need to hear your reports. Fugaku, how did your search go?"

Fugaku grimaced.

"We found a number of leads, but all of them were dead ends. We were unable to find any conclusive evidence of Danzo's whereabouts. I believe that it's likely he remains within the village walls, but that's merely conjecture."

Hiruzen nodded, expecting as much. Danzo had always thrived amongst the shadows, and he was simply too skilled to leave behind a trail. Once the council meeting was over, he'd focus on hunting for his old teammate. Right now, he had other priorities.

"Mikoto, how is young Naruto doing? Did you run into any trouble?"

"He's still unconscious, but Tsunade says that his recovery is going about as smoothly as could be expected. A handful of doctors and nurses gave the boy some looks, but none were willing stray from their duties with A Senju and Uchiha breathing down their necks."

"Good to hear. Now, Itachi, you may join us now."

The ANBU who had been standing guard by the door briefly disappeared, and Itachi flickered into view right next to his parents. Hiruzen rolled his eyes, although he had to credit the boy for following protocol so strictly.

"Now, we are going to have a discussion that should have occurred years ago."

Hiruzen paused for a moment, taking the time to ensure his own conviction. He needed to shape this conversation carefully.

"Itachi, I would like to hear your full report on the progress of the Uchiha coup."

Despite the situation, the Hokage barely contained a chuckle. The three Uchiha before him all reacted in a perfectly identical fashion. The shock had yet to turn into anger, and he wanted to keep it that way. He had a feeling that laughing in their faces wouldn't exactly help the situation.

"Itachi, your report, please."

In a frankly incredible show of professionalism, Itachi wiped all emotion from his face, and delivered the report.

"Little has changed since my last report, sir. The elders continue to push for violent action, and the people continue to argue the idea behind closed doors. I feel that no action is imminent, but if nothing is done, a coup is nearly inevitable."

"Thank you, Itachi. Tell me, do you know of the clan head's feelings toward the idea?"

Itachi's careful countenance faltered for a split second, but his stoic look returned.

"Initially, he stood against the elders. I am not sure of his current position towards the coup, but his protests certainly don't ring as loud as they have in the past, sir."

"Very good. Thank you, Itachi. Please remain here for the duration of this conversation."

Itachi nodded, facade unreadable, and the Hokage stood from his seat behind his desk.

"Fugaku, I know about the coup. I may not know every single detail, but I know enough to see that it is time for action. It's up to you, however, what kind of action that is. I am not looking to threaten you, nor do I seek anything unreasonable. I do not necessarily disagree with the reasons behind this rebellion."

"Before we continue further, I need to know something. I don't want the opinion of the people, or the elders. I want to know. Fugaku, Mikoto, do you want this coup to take place?"

Fugaku grimaced. The Hokage spoke those words in a friendly enough manner, but the look in the old man's eyes made it clear; he would know the truth, one way or another. The Uchiha clan head was a proud man, and was one of the village's most skilled jonin. But even he could do nothing against the one known as the God of Shinobi. In the end, he knew his place.

"I only want what is best for my people, sir. I don't want to believe that a coup is the correct path, but with the way things have been going, I simply cannot say for certain whether it is or isn't."

There was legitimate weight behind the man's words. Hiruzen could feel the genuine confusion, frustration, and turmoil in Fugaku's voice. The plan would work. Now, he knew for certain. There would be threats, no massacres, and no violence.

"We are not just randomly having this conversation. The events of the past few days have been trying for us all, but they are not without a silver lining. An opportunity has presented itself. It will not immediately solve every qualm the Uchiha have against the village, but it will start both parties down the correct path. I have a plan, if you are willing to hear it."

Expression inscrutable, Fugaku nodded.

"With Danzo on the loose, Naruto needs constant supervision. That much is obvious. Danzo is just too dangerous. The village's orphanages have once again proven themselves incapable of providing the boy with sufficient protection, and I'll be damned if I lock up Minato's legacy in a cell, even if it's in the name of his own safety. If I had the time, I'd take the boy in myself, but I must consider the needs of the village first."

"Of course, Naruto is not an ordinary orphan. His status as a jinchuuriku makes it… difficult to find him a suitable family. But, thanks to Danzo, an opportunity has presented itself. If you accept this proposition, you'll be able to take young Naruto into your household."

Three pairs of onyx eyes widened in realization as the pieces began to click together. Sarutobi carried on.

"The Uchiha, of course, are uniquely qualified to protect the village from the Kyuubi, and if the village thinks that Danzo genuinely came close to releasing the demon, they'll see the protection as a necessity,"

A sorrowful look came over the Hokage's face.

"And, given the boy's reputation, they'll probably be glad that he'll be spending most of his time in an isolated compound. I hope to eventually change that sentiment, but for now, we might as well use it."

"Meanwhile, the adoption is a massive show of trust from the village. A jinchuuriki is one of a village's greatest assets, and placing one in the care of the Uchiha is nothing less than a show of complete faith. At the very least, it will make up for the mistakes made during the Kyuubi's attack, all those years ago."

"Fugaku, I know that you are a skilled leader. With this kind of leverage, you'll be able to quiet even the loudest of the clan elders. The village will be thankful towards the Uchiha for standing between them and the Kyuubi. And Naruto will finally have a home. This will not solve all of our problems, but it will absolutely be a fantastic start, especially towards repairing the relationship between clan and village. Should you accept, we will announce our plans at the council meeting later today. As such, I'm afraid that you don't have much time to think it over. I'll need your answer before you leave the room."

After a moment of utter silence, Mikoto spoke up.

"And what if we decline?"

Hiruzen frowned.

"I simply do not know. I will do everything in my power to prevent a coup, and I will see that the Will of Fire carries on to the next generation."

Again, silence reigned supreme. Hiruzen knew that the family before him had likely placed themselves in a genjutsu to converse privately, but he allowed it to pass. When it came to the future of the village, everyone needed a level of sympathy that too many seemed to lack. This was a big decision, for clan, family, and village, and he'd allow them a few words.

Within the genjutsu, however, things were just as quiet. Nobody really knew what to say.

Fugaku glared at Itachi. Itachi glared right back. Mikoto was off in her own world, thinking about her old friend. The perpetual silence broke Mikoto out of her reverie, and she decided that enough was enough.

"Look, you two can settle this later, after you finish setting up another bed in Sasuke's room."

Des[ite the heavy air around them, Fugaku chuckled.

"I guess the decision has been made, then. As clan head, it's our only logical action. Sarutobi is correct when he says that this will not solve all of our problems with the village, but it very well might be the first step. Itachi, we WILL speak about your betrayal at a later date, but we must focus on the task at hand. I will do the talking."

In the most Uchiha fashion imaginable, all three nodded stoically,

"Kai."

* * *

"Granny, oooooh, hey, Granny, Granny, why does it look like you're hiding watermelons in your shirt? Are you?! Can I have one of them?"

'Granny' bashed her head into the door frame. Again. A couple hours earlier, she'd been working tirelessly to get this kid to wake up.

Now, well, Tsunade had always been quick to change her mind.

"Brat, I swear I will knock you out with one of these watermelons if you don't SHUT UP ALREADY!"

A giggle behind her let her know that the worst was yet to come.

"Now, I like to think that I'm a connoisseur of low hanging fruit, but, as you just said, I think you have me beat. Actually, I volunteer to take that beating now, old friend. Well, what are you waiting for? Molest me with thy melons!"

Tsunade twitched, and a moment later, several alarms were blaring. The security guards were too frightened to question her about the body-sized holes that had created a bit of a draft in the ICU, The faint moans of a toad sage laying on the hospital's front lawn were made inaudible by the sounds of their hasty exit, but Naruto felt no such apprehension.

"Granny! What happened?! Who was that? Why did they get a watermelon?"

Tsunade bashed her head into the door frame again, and this time, the door frame failed to survive the encounter. As drywall dust from the collapsed ceiling tiles settled onto her frazzled hair, she came to the conclusion that this just wasn't going to be her day.

* * *

 **A/N - I'm gonna move to using longer chapters once we hit the meat of this fic, but while we're drowning in politics and scheming, I'm gonna stick to the short ones. Pacing these things is nigh impossible for a hyperactive bugger like myself, so I kinda have to split up the conversations to keep myself sane.**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed the update. More should be coming soon. Let me know what ya think!**


	4. Chapter 3

Home.

Naruto was going home.

He'd… never really done that before. He'd never really had a home before.

Sure, Gramps had always told him that his orphanage was his home, because that's where he was supposed to sleep, but Naruto had slept just as often on park benches and in recycling dumpsters (they didn't smell as bad, and cardboard is surprisingly comfortable) and he certainly never considered those 'homes'.

But this was different. Gramps said that, in this home, he was gonna have a mom, and a dad, and two brothers. And that was it! No more getting kicked dragged off of beds by a half-dozen evil teenagers! This was gonna be great!

Wait, didn't moms make you take baths?! Naruto didn't want that, although he supposed that it would be worthwhile, just to avoid getting kicked off park benches by angry mean policemen.

Still, the whole idea made him feel a bit sad. Yeah, he was gonna have a mom and dad now, but Naruto wasn't as dumb as people thought. They weren't _his_ mom and dad. Gramps said that they were good people, and that they would become family in no time. Naruto hoped so, because he'd never had a family. He wasn't counting on it, though.

Naruto had learned long ago to not expect anything more than the minimum of what a person promised.

At least, that's what he kept telling himself. After all, it was always best to prepare for disappointment. His hands were shaking 'cause his room was cold. Yeah, totally not excitement, because HIS family was on the way to pick him up and get him out of this stupid hospital. This stupid, cold hospital.

Brrrrr.

Chilly.

* * *

"What's he like?"

Sasuke's question was barely audible over the sounds of the bustling street around them. Mikoto had just told the boy that they were about to go meet his new brother, and he was understandably curious.

Mikoto, however, apparently hadn't heard the question, and her conversation with Itachi carried on without pause. Fugaku rolled his eyes. These types of discussions weren't exactly his forte. He was a man who made decisions. His wife was usually the one in charge of explaining them. This idle talk seemed needless and futile.

Still, it was hard to resist the tiny hand tugging on his own, demanding an answer. After a moment, he relented.

"To be honest, I've only met Naruto a handful of times, but I knew his mother very well. She was actually your mother's best friend, a long time ago. If the boy takes after her, and I've heard that he does, then he will be loud, obnoxious, annoying, and inexplicably energetic. He will drive you insane in the worst of ways, and make you want to pull your hair from your scalp!"

By the end of the rant, Fugaku was practically hyperventilating, stuck reliving memories he'd thought repressed.

Sasuke, however, giggled.

"If she was like that, then why was Mom friends with her?"

Fugaku was about to respond that, indeed, he had often wondered the same thing, but a hand on his shoulder told him to shut up.

Mikoto had been listening in after all.

"Because, while she was all of those things, and then some, Kushina was also the most incredibly loyal, fun-loving friend that I ever could have asked for. You two will get along just fine."

Fugaku smirked a tiny bit, but said nothing. If the boy took after either of his parents at all, he'd be a terrific friend and rival to Sasuke. Fugaku only hoped that he'd survive the boy's antics long enough to see such a relationship develop.

His son looked confused, so Itachi explained further.

"Shisui is often the same way. He always tell me that a friend only becomes a best friend once you feel the urge to punch him in the face on a regular basis."

That… didn't help, but Sasuke just shrugged. The streets of Konoha simply offered too much stimulation for a four year old to really maintain a conversation, no matter the topic. A moment later, he and Itachi were playing I Spy, and the two adults trekked onward in a companionable silence.

Fugaku was grateful for the silence. He needed some time to process everything that had happened over the past 24 hours.

What the hell had they gotten themselves into?

He would never admit it to another living soul, but the coup had never been likely to succeed the way all the elders thought it would, even before their… information breach. The Hokage and Danzo were both formidable foes, likely stronger than any individual Uchiha, and Konoha could not be had without both of them, and their ANBU, meeting decisive ends. At the very most, it would've only taken a handful of alert jounin to tilt the scales enough to send the Uchiha running for their lives. And, even if they had pulled off the coup, the other Kage would've surely smelled the blood in the water.

Last night, Fugaku called for an emergency clan meeting, and he'd announced his adoption of the young jinchuuriki. He had used the confusion and excitement to begin a push toward dulling the claws of the warhawks among the elders. By the end of the meeting, he had made significant inroads and had successfully started the process of thawing the relationship between clan and village.

It was amazing, what a small sign of trust could do.

This morning, Fugaku had met with the Hokage. Actually, it was more than that. They had sat down and talked, for hours on end. They had cleared the air.

The Uchiha Clan Head explained and described every single slight that the Uchiha had felt emerge from the Hokage Tower in recent years, and the Hokage listened. Hiruzen himself had accepted all responsibility for the acts of gradual incrimination, but, in their examination of paperwork and records relating to the Uchiha, it was Danzo's name that was most consistently spread throughout.

Fugaku did not mistake his position; Hiruzen still clearly had the upper hand. Nobody had directly forced the Uchiha into action, and the possession of a jinchuuriki was more than fair compensation for Fugaku's individually minor gripes. The Hokage may have accepted responsibility, but that, bluntly, didn't mean shit. For the good of both clan and village, the blame had to fall on Danzo, and they both knew it.

That man had to die.

Alas, the Uchiha had their boogeyman. Fugaku would be able to spin a tale that would sway all but the most hawkish of his clansmen, and the coup plans would fall by the wayside. Danzo, after all, was nowhere to be seen, and thus could not defend himself from any claims, true or not. The village would continue to know peace.

That's not to say, however, that the Uchiha would just bow and take it. The Senju's subjugation had begun decades before Danzo had even tasted a lick of power, and eventually, the cycle would just repeat itself, if nothing was done.

It was Itachi's idea, actually. Something of a peace offering. But it was a good one. The Clan would still make their power play. It was only the game that had changed.

They'd been in checkmate. Now, the pawns were laid out anew, and it was time to carefully start the new match.

* * *

 **AN: I'm still alive! I'm a busy dude, so updates will always be inconsistent, but I'll always eventually come back to these stories. Worry not, you magnificent bastards.**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed, and be sure to let me know what ya think!**


End file.
